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Tue, 03 Mar 2015 21:01:59 +0000Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbPoor Peoples Campaignhttp://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8852:poor-peoples-campaign&catid=39&Itemid=101
http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8852:poor-peoples-campaign&catid=39&Itemid=101I am a firm believer in the simple fact that every person who wants a job can get a job. That’s an old school philosophy I learned from my grandfather Frank Bakewell, when I worked at his store on Central between Slauson and Gage as a young boy. It doesn’t matter what the job is, McDonalds is an option, delivering newspapers is an option, mowing lawns is an option. It may not be the job you want, but it will be the job you have until a better one comes along.

My friends Tyrone Freeman and Eric Lee of SCLC have now launched The Poor Peoples Campaign, this is an initiative to get every person in our community who wants to work employed. Now, I know there are higher paying jobs out there, and I want to see everyone in our community get one. But what I want to see most of all is us as Black people moving forward, and a job, ANY JOB for a person who has no job is a step in the right direction.

The Los Angeles Sentinel and The Bakewell Company are on board and committed to this program. The Poor Peoples Campaign is a very basic idea started by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and revived and revitalized by Eric, Tyrone and the entire SCLC Family.

We as a community and as Black People must all get behind this campaign. Every business man and woman, every politician, every civic leader and every church needs to sign up and support this effort. We need to put pressure on people and those companies that want us to buy and support them, but then give us an excuses as to why they can’t hire and support us.

I am encouraging all of you to sign up and support this campaign. I am asking you to report to us [The Sentinel] those businesses within our community who are refusing to get on board and hire people from our community. We are going to start a grass roots movement to revitalize the image and mindset of our community. Our community really does want to work, and it is our responsibility; each and everyone of ours, to make sure that if you want a job you can get a job.

Let me know how you feel about this program, let me know how we can improve on the paper. Let me know whatever is on your mind. I want to hear from you, I want you to “Talk to Danny”.

Sincerely,

Danny J. Bakewell, Jr.President and Executive Editor

]]>dannyjr@lasentinel.net (Danny J. Bakewell Jr. (Contributing Editor))BlogThu, 05 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0000HIV/AIDShttp://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8853:hiv-aids&catid=39&Itemid=101
http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8853:hiv-aids&catid=39&Itemid=101When you read this week’s Sentinel you are going to find an ad from Gilead Sciences, Inc. regarding AIDS and HIV in the Black Community. This is the first of a series of ads and articles that we have partnered with Gilead to run within the paper. We have launched this education partnership with Gilead to address the many causes and issues surrounding this deadly disease. Now, we all know that AIDS/HIV is something our community has been ignoring for far too long. But, the truth is we have to face it! As my dad would say, “we cannot continue walking around pretending the elephant is not in the room”.

When we first started talking about this education program, I was like most of the people within our community. I didn’t believe this problem could and/or would affect me. My friend Tony Wafford, was the first to start educating me about the realities of AIDS/HIV and how it was affecting Black people more than any other people in America. He began teaching me about the real issues of this disease and how to separate them from the myths. I was shocked to learn that Today, African Americans are ten times more likely than whites to have AIDS, and we account for more than half of all HIV diagnoses and AIDS-related deaths in this country. As a black man and a father of four young children, I am terrified as to how this disease will affect our current and future generations. I am alarmed at the many African-American men, women and young people who go to the doctors office each and everyday oblivious to the very real threat of HIV infection. Ignorance, denial and fear is a lethal combination. And it’s crippling our community.

As with other chronic health problems such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, there are many reasons why the black community is disproportionately ravaged by AIDS. Poverty and lack of medical insurance top the list. So do drug abuse and the shockingly high rate of incarcerated black men. U.S. prisoner’s have the highest incidence of HIV infection of any population, yet little is being done to educate or protect individuals from becoming HIV positive while incarcerated and, subsequently, infecting others – especially their female partners – after being released.

While prevention and education still must be the goal, I was also amazed to learn that if you were HIV positive it does not mean THE END. The truth is HIV drug combinations work and are more effective than ever before. A 25-year-old who is diagnosed with HIV and receives the proper antiviral drugs can expect to live for an average of 35 years. New treatment combinations are also simpler than ever before which makes following the doctors treatment plan that much easier (this is key to a patients survival).

HIV testing itself is also simpler, HIV tests no longer require blood samples, you can get your results in minutes, and the test are usually free and available just about anywhere, with no questions asked.

So why do our black sisters and brothers continue to get HIV? I believe it is because, we have not taken the time to be educated about this disease, and we are still walking around pretending that it is a white, gay mans disease. (The statistics demonstrate that this is certainly not the case). One thing is clear, HIV testing and early treatment can save your life and the lives of those you love.

I hope that you find this information helpful and informative. But I also hope that is causes you to take action. I pray that you share this information with your family and friends; I hope it starts conversations within homes across the country, and I hope that with a little education and a little common sense we can get a handle on this epidemic that is plaguing our community.

”Let me know what you think of this campaign, let me know what other issues we need to address; let me know what other stories we need to tell, let me know what is on your mind. I really do want to hear from you, I want you to “Talk to Danny.”

Sincerely,Danny J. Bakewell, Jr.President & Executive Editor

]]>dannyjr@lasentinel.net (Danny J. Bakewell Jr. (Contributing Editor))BlogThu, 19 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0000Juanita Millander-McDonaldhttp://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8854:juanita-millander-mcdonald&catid=39&Itemid=101
http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8854:juanita-millander-mcdonald&catid=39&Itemid=101The other morning I woke and realized that I forgot to finish off my “Talk to Danny” the way I had originally planned. I had intended to close with a special word of encouragement and ask all of you to say a special prayer for Congresswoman Juanita Millander-McDonald and her family. I even told one of the employees here at the paper that I had forgotten, however, at the time, I didn’t think it was a big deal, because I figured, I had next week.

Well, as you all know on Sunday, April 22, 2007 the Congresswoman passed away, and my chance to send her a special note and word of encouragement was lost. I did lift her up in prayer, but I was never able to let her know that my family and I were lifting her up.

I am sharing this with you, because we should all remember how short and crucial life really is. We all get caught up in our own hectic worlds, we run around a mile a minute with the idea that tomorrow we will carve some special time to let the people we know and love how they have enriched our lives.

Well, with this lost fresh in my head and heavy on my heart I just want to encourage all of you to take a moment and let the people you truly love know how you feel.

Please, take a little time out to laugh with your children, tell your parents thank you for what they have done in your life. Say to your sister or brother, I am proud of you! (no matter how crazy you might think they are). Let a grandparent or uncle share some family history with you, and tell your REAL FRIENDS how important they are in you life.

I have promised myself that I am going to do this, because life is too short and tomorrow really is not promised.

Let me know if you let someone know they are special in your life, or that you said a special prayer for someone, let me know if there are any other issues we need to address, or what other stories we need to tell, let me know what is on your mind. I really do want to hear from you, I want you to “Talk to Danny.”

Sincerely,Danny J. Bakewell, Jr.President & Executive Editor

PS. I really do appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share how you feel about my column (the good and the bad) and the paper overall since I started “Talk To Danny”. THANK YOU!

]]>dannyjr@lasentinel.net (Danny J. Bakewell Jr. (Contributing Editor))BlogThu, 26 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0000The African American Votehttp://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8856:the-african-american-vote&catid=39&Itemid=101
http://www.lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8856:the-african-american-vote&catid=39&Itemid=101Last week I did a radio show on NPR where the commentator said that “The African American Vote No Longer Counted” that the Latino community was now carrying power and then asked “Is the Black community scrambling to find a place to hold on to?” To all of these questions I immediately countered back NO!, nothing could be further from the truth and our community would never fall for that type of rhetoric.

I pointed out that we currently have more elected representatives in the California Legislature than ever before (The Divine Nine); I also questioned why people were counting our voting power out? I reminded the reporter that it was the African American vote that got Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn elected over Antonio Villaraigosa in 2000. Then it got Mayor Villaraigosa voted into office over Jim Hahn 4 years later, and let’s not forget that it will most likely be the Black vote that decides the winner between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The change in the African American Political Landscape is not whether the African American vote still counts, there is no doubt that it does. The change (which I think scares a lot of people outside our community) is that there is a new generation of leaders stepping up and asking to be given the chance to carry the ball. This has never been more apparent than with the passing of our beloved Congresswoman, Juanita Millender-McDonald, and now the candidacy of Assembly person Laura Richardson, to fill the vacancy. This is further demonstrated by Compton Councilman Isadore Hall campaign to replace Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally in the State Assembly.

Recently we saw our community execute its voting power in Pasadena’s recent city council election, when 28 year old Jacque Robinson stepped out of nowhere to win the District 1 seat held by retiring council member Joyce Streator, and retain the African American leadership in this district.

Let’s remember that there are Dynamic, Bold and Qualified leaders making their way up the political ladders who are ready to take up the torch that has been so competently carried by their political predecessors. The new leadership includes Councilman Mike Gibson in Carson, Councilman Steve Bradford in Gardena, Curren Price and Mike Davis in the California Legislature. This generation also has some key up and coming political stars who currently operate behind the scenes. Political stars like Deron Williams (Chief of Staff for Councilman Herb Wesson) and Bernard Parks, Jr. (Chief of Staff and Son of Councilman Bernard Parks Sr.) who are serving their community tirelessly and if they choose, will someday have their time in the spotlight.

All you have to do is look around this country and you will find more and more of the next generation assuming the mantle of leadership. This new generation is educated and prepared to handle this roll, individuals such as my good friends, Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit, Jesse Jackson, Jr. of Chicago and Harold Ford, Jr. of Tennessee. All of these men and several young women throughout this country have been groomed by their parents and have willingly been preparing for their moment to move their community and this nation forward.

Now I am certain that some people are looking around to see who and where they can get a foot hold on seats that have been historically black power seats. So I say to you all, we must also be strategic in how we handle our own politics. Whenever possible we need to make sure we don’t get in our own way and let others run in and steal what we have. As long as we do not take our opportunities for granted, remain vigilant and communicate with one another, we will retain our power base and develop it into a bigger, stronger and broader coalition throughout this state and even throughout this nation (remember, Barack Obama is also a part of the new generation as well).

Let me know who else you think is ready to assume the leadership mantle within our community. Let me know if there are any other issues we need to address, or stories we need to tell. Let me know what is on your mind I really do want to hear from you, I want you to “Talk to Danny.”